Re: Cimbri & Teutoni

From: John Croft
Message: 3513
Date: 2000-09-01

Piotr wrote
> Unless the Romans had made a regrettable mistake and punished the
wrong people (who thought it wiser to apologise nevertheless), a
Cimbro-Teutonic homeland in the Jutland Peninsula can be regarded as
established (see Pliny the Elder). That would rule out their
Celticity even if they were initially identified as "Celti" by their
Roman contemporaries. But ethnic names may be eagerly borrowed as
part of cultural influence; or names originally given by Celts may
have stuck to groups of Germani. Whatever the scenario, I can easily
imagine a Germanic ethnos with a Celtic ethnonym, just as there were
Slavic tribes with Iranian names.

The Cymbri-Teutone invasions involved a whole series of Celtic
peoples as well as Germanic ones. They weathered for one harvest in
Belgium, enrolling a number of Celtic tribes into their cause, some
of whom emerged into leadership positions. Possibly the best source
for this is the excellent and very readable historical novels of the
Australian Colleen McCulloch (for which she was awarded a PhD in
Ancient History. Her bibiolographies are a wealth of sources on te
period from Marius to the rise of Ceasar.

She even suggests that it was Cornelius Sulla who provided the Romans
with their "intelligence" about the Cymbri-Teutones in Jutland. The
books are excellent for anyone who is interested in this period of
history.

Regards

John